Grad Student Moving to Pittsburgh

[crae09]

you could possibly find something in your price range in Sq Hill & Shadyside. Those areas are full of college students from Pitt & CMU, so I'm sure you'd meet new people and friends were easily... although you did state that you're a grad student and not a college freshman for example, so I guess you'd want to be around more professionals.

As others have stated a great option would be to live somewhere in the south hills part of the city and take the T (trolley/subway) You could get off at First Avenue or even Steel Plaza and the walk is not far at all (Duq is RIGHT outside of the golden triangle in downtown) If you're interested in areas along the T, I would suggest Mt. Lebanon. I've also always thought that Dormont was adorable as well.

[Buckeye Burgher]

I have a twenty-something adult daughter living in Mt. Lebanon. She has a nice apartment and feels very
safe there. Much of Mt. Lebanon is like the city in terms of having sidewalks, housing density, walkable
business districts, etc. She does not own a car.

Dormont is right next door and is similar. A LOT of apartments there. Very convenient with the T running
right thru the middle. They have had some problems there, but most of those involve activity around the
bars on West Liberty Avenue.

[szug-bot]

as a graduate student, will you be taking night classes, or classes during the day?

i would not suggest anything relying on the T. im in graduate school now, and i feel convenience is more important than anything when you are pressed for time and under stress (will you be working, too?).

i would look around on the South Side Slopes, and South Oakland. You might get lucky in Oakland and find a decent place - there are some there. Its not a bad drive at all to the campus from Greenfield, too. (i am assuming you can/will park on campus...)

not any place is entirely perfect, but i think these are good, and i would back up fleetiebelle's mention of Mt. Washington - defiitely worth checking out, but parking there might be a bit of a nightmare sometimes. in particular, great summer nights have the area teeming with people looking to park and enjoy the view.

[Grad13]

Thanks for all your responses guys! I just revisited the area a few days ago. I drove through Greentree and downtown, as well as Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. I really like Squirrel Hill a lot. I like the atmosphere, and the old style homes, as well as the family-oriented atmosphere. However, looking at apartments and upon doing a lot of research online, I'm concerned about many of the large apartment management companies that seem to own every single apartment complex in the area. I've heard nothing but bad reviews on companies such as Mozart.

While I do like Greentree, I'm worried about the drive into the city during the winter. I live in the north so I know how to drive in the winter, but I never realized how steep and hilly the area south of Pittsburgh actually was. Is this a concern I should have?

[fleetiebelle]

What you might want to consider is that many people in Pittsburgh don't live in large apartment complexes or rent with big management companies. There are a lot of private landlords who own a property or two and rent them out (and who don't have a huge web presence, which makes finding them trickier.) If you're looking for upscale, shiny, and new, though, these probably aren't your best option.

As for winter conditions, the main roads are usually taken care of fairly well, but you do have to be on your toes. I know most people have a regular route with short-cuts and side streets, but also have a "winter" alternative

[JimboPGH]

Originally Posted by Grad13

Thanks for all your responses guys! I just revisited the area a few days ago. I drove through Greentree and downtown, as well as Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. I really like Squirrel Hill a lot. I like the atmosphere, and the old style homes, as well as the family-oriented atmosphere. However, looking at apartments and upon doing a lot of research online, I'm concerned about many of the large apartment management companies that seem to own every single apartment complex in the area. I've heard nothing but bad reviews on companies such as Mozart.

Renting in Squirrel Hill can be kinda awful due to those exploitative rental companies. Same goes for Regent Square. If you want a place in that general area, Greenfield might be your best bet.

I'm a bit of a cheerleader for Dormont, but it would definitely be worth a look if you're looking for a dense neighborhood with old homes and lots of young families. Rentals there are a helluva lot cheaper (you can find a very nice one bedroom for 600 or less without much hassle), landlords tend to be much more responsive, there's a lovely, convenient business district on Potomac (along with a bunch of stuff on West Lib), and the T would be completely functional for a commute to Duquesne. And after rush hour, it's a breezy drive from there to the East End, via the Liberty Tubes and Bigelow Blvd.

[szug-bot]

i believe the OP may have confused Green TREE with greenFIELD.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

i believe the OP may have confused Green TREE with greenFIELD.

I don't think so--if she's going to Duquesne, Greentree is going to be closer and have more of the suburbanish apartment complexes s/he's looking for than Greenfield.